We arranged a coach from Winchester, booking one for about 20 people but a 50-seater turned up. This was very nice for the passengers since we had plenty of room, but a bit of a challenge for the driver who had to manoeuvre it through some narrow streets and lanes. He was an excellent driver, who also kept good-humoured and helpful throughout the whole day, which probably seemed a bit bizarre to him. Since we were travelling via Salisbury we dropped into the new Meeting House there. It's an older building which has been renovated to a high standard and has a lovely light meeting room, with several other rooms available for use by local groups. We picked up a few more Quakers and carried on to Shaftesbury Meeting House for a very quick cup of tea and lunch. The plan was to have an hour there, but we were held up by the traffic in Salisbury due to Supercars at Wilton House which was right on our route! However we managed to get to the start of the walk down to the burial ground on time.
The coach dropped us off at the top of a hill by Ashgrove Farm. From there it's a rough steep track down into the valley, and then a walk through woods and fields to the ground. For those elderly members who couldn't manage the quite tricky path, transport was provided. A few came down in four wheel drives, and the owner of the estate (a Mr. Ritchie) offered the use of the mobile hut which the pheasant beaters use during shoots. Luckily the weather kept fine, although there were showers throughout the day and torrential rain at one point.
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